Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a breath indicator for detecting inhalation or exhalation for use in conjunction with or as part of a breathing assistance apparatus which is used for resuscitating and/or supplying gases to an infant.
Description of the Related Art
It is known to apply Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) and controlled Peak Inspiratory Pressure (PIP) during respiration, resuscitation or assisted respiration (ventilation) for patients, such as neonates or infants who require breathing assistance. In applying PEEP, the patient, such as an infant's upper airway and lungs are held open by the applied pressure. An example of an apparatus suitable for this is disclosed in US2004/0040559.
It is important for a medical professional to be able to establish and verify the breathing of the infant. When undergoing assisted ventilation or respiration, the neonatal infant will receive a continuous flow of gases to their airway. These gases will either be atmospheric, atmospheric with supplementary added oxygen, or (rarely) pure oxygen. When the patient infant exhales against the continuous flow of gases, they will breathe out gases that have a higher concentration of CO2 than those which enter their lungs.
It is known to use CO2 detectors with adult ventilation systems and as part of breathing masks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,918 discloses using a CO2 detector with a ventilation system to detect the patient's circulatory status. U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,460 discloses a mask with a gas sensor positioned on the mask.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.